Many Android phones have begun to get the latest 7.1.1 version of Nougat, showcasing a diverse array of emojis and improved GIF.
The new update is available from Monday and along with it, Google has also offered a security update for the OS, including 5 security fixes for vulnerabilities in the Android smartphones. The update will be rolled out gradually to all the eligible phones in the next few weeks.
New Ways of Using Emojis
Google states that the new and updated Nougat 7.1.1 offers a showcase of additional ways of expressing oneself. The new update is available from Monday and it allows the user different ways of using GIFs and emojis, apart from the regular ones. For instance, the updated Nougat version will allow the user to find and send a gif from the keyboard in Allow or Hangouts or from Messenger, all messaging services of Google. The user can also access new gifs, including additional skin tones along with separate roles for men and for women.
Jumping to Apps
In addition, the user can directly jump from the home screen into an application. The user can press and then hold on to the icon of an application. He or she can then select an option from the menu. For instance, if you press and hold YouTube icon, you fill find the menu that allow you to jump directly into the search bar on the YouTube application or go to the channels that you have subscribed for.
Gender Equality
The new set of emojis offered by the update 7.1.1 is revamped for promoting gender equality. The emojis were initially introduced for the Pixel and the Pixel XL devices, and the new 7.1.1 update brings these options for all other Android devices also.
Earlier, the emojis on Android phones only depicted a male or a female character in a particular profession or a specific scenario. However, the latest update sees a better representation of women. It has added eleven more professional emojis for both male and for female versions. In case of thirty-three of the earlier emojis, there is additional representation of the opposite gender. This has resulted in the availability of female emojis having various skin tones and performing different activities, such as farming, lifting weights, along with male emojis getting a haircut.
GIF Communication is Easier
The new update 7.1.1 also makes it easier for users to communicate with GIF. It offers the GIF keyboard for Allow, Hangouts and for Messenger apps. It is probably an idea taken from the update for Messages application by Apple in the iOS 10, which was rather heavy on images.
Shortcuts on Homescreen
The new 7.1.1 update also offers interesting shortcuts for navigation right from the home screen of the device. The long press option is a new addition offering these shortcuts to certain actions that users can take on certain applications. The applications are rather similar to the ones offered by the 3D Touch technology of Apple devices.